Presently, there are a number of different types of jacks being used to lift a vehicle.
A mechanical type of jack comprises of a power screw rotatably mounted in a housing, screw being fixed to a worm gear at one end, which is meshed with another screw coupled to a handle. A nut is screwed on to the power screw. A load support plate is integral with the nut. When handle is turned, it rotates the screw meshed with worm gear, thereby, rotating the worm gear. The worm gear, in turn, rotates the power screw, which is pivoted at two ends inside the housing. The nut screwed on the power screw moves vertically upward or downward, the load support plate integral with the nut moves with it. The support plate is positioned under the floor beam of the car to lift the car.
A manually operated hydraulic frame type jack system known to the industry comprised of a base, a pressure release valve, a lever, a hydraulic oil cylinder, a piston, a pair of pulling bars, a pair of links, a pair of pushing bars, a load-engaging head and a locking rod. The locking rod is inserted into and extended through the holes on the pushing bars to prevent unintentional lowering of the car jack and the car.
However, to date no hydraulic or hydroelectric jack system is known which can be mounted on the underside of the vehicle and can be operated remotely from the dashboard of a vehicle.
One of the drawbacks of the widely used manual jacks is that the jack has to be physically positioned, by hand, under the vehicle and the handle/lever is operated manually to lift the jack, thereby, lifting the vehicle. Other drawback of the presently used jacks is that it takes a long time, up to 15 to 30 minutes, to lift the vehicle and another 15–20 minutes to bring jack to original position, unbundled and finally store it.
Yet another drawback of the known jacks is that in inclement weather conditions like rain, scorching heat, muddy road conditions or in snow operating a jack causes discomfort to the operator.
The present invention could be comfortably fitted beneath the driver and the adjoining seat. It is provided with the mechanical lock system.